BSG One-Shot Collection
by musicalfruitninja
Summary: A collection of Battlestar Galactica one-shots. Most feature the Roslin/Adama ship.
1. Shh - Official Napping Business

Decided to put all BSG one-shots in one place. Sorry for any inconvenience.

* * *

 **Shh - Official Napping Business**

Lee Adama and Kara Thrace walk side by side as they make their way to the Admiral's quarters.

"Don't you have something better to do than follow me around all day, Lieutanant?"

"Actually yes, _Captain_. I'm on my way to give the Admiral an update on my hopeless nuggets. The question is, don't you have anything better to do than follow me around?"

Apollo chuckles. "I'm actually on my way to see the Admiral myself. How are the nuggets, anyways? You aren't kicking their asses too hard are you?"

"No," Starbuck responds, sounding less than convincing. The two nod to the guards outside Admiral Adama's quarters and let themselves in, so comfortable with the Old Man that they'd done away with knocking a long time ago. When they walk in, they're surprised not to find him at his desk. Starbuck shoots Apollo a confused look and calls out,

"Admiral?" The two then venture deeper into the cabin when, too late, they hear snoring.

"Oh my gods-"

"Well frak me," Starbuck smirks, crossing her arms and giving Apollo a pointed look.

Admiral Adama lays asleep in his rack, which wouldn't be so shocking if he wasn't literally nose-to-nose with President Laura Roslin. His arms encircle her, keeping her close to him, while her hand is on his chest and their legs are intertwined. They're both fully clothed, but the intimacy in which he's stumbled upon his father and the president is enough to make Apollo's cheeks flare red.

"Looks like mommy and daddy needed some rack time, wouldn't you say, Lee?" Starbuck has to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"We should... Uh... We shouldn't be... I, uh..." Apollo turns swiftly and makes a beeline for the door.

"I told you they were—"

"Shut up Kara."

"But you owe me 50—"

" _Shut up Kara_."

Once they're safely out of the Admiral's quarters and the latch has closed behind them, Starbuck laughs. "You owe me 50 cubits!"

"Kara-"

"Your face is so red!"

"You're never letting this go, are you."

"Oh, no, Lee. Never."

Lee sighs and shakes his head, as Kara laughs and continually promises to tease him for eternity.


	2. Moving In

Set when Roslin moves onto Galactica for her cancer treatments.

* * *

 **Moving In**

"Stop worrying about it. As soon as those shoes come off you are no longer obligated to be presidential in any way."

Just after removing her shoes by the hatch to Bill Adama's quarters, Laura Roslin stops where she stands and holds, completely frozen. Suddenly she makes a dash for the shoes, but Bill is one step ahead of her. With just two strides he's directly behind her and has wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back.

"Bill," she whines, slumping against his chest in defeat, her head on his shoulder.

"Cottle said not to over exert yourself-"

"Cottle can shove it."

"Hey," Bill chuckles, tightening his grip around her waist as her head lolls and rests against his neck. He'll just pretend that her breath on his skin does nothing to him - absolutely nothing at all. Bill turns his head to look down at her with a smile, intending to joke about Cottle always being annoyingly right, when he finds that he definitely overestimated his ability to overcome a pout and a certain pair of green eyes. Without slowing to even think about his actions, Bill closes the small gap between them and kisses her. When he pulls back, he's still smiling. After all, he has never been one to second-guess himself.

"That was wildly inappropriate, Admiral," Laura scolds, laughter dancing after every word. "Especially given our current living situation. I do love staying in such luxurious quarters but if you're going to try to seduce me at every turn-" Bill stops her with another kiss. At first she laughs against his mouth but, as he pulls her closer, opts instead to turn around to face him and deepen the kiss. His hands explore her back before one returns to her waist and the other gets lost in her hair. Her hands are everywhere, traveling from his chest to his neck and finally to his hair. When the need to breathe becomes too strong, they reluctantly pull a part.

"I'll understand if you want to find more comfortable accommodations," Bill says, resting his forehead against hers and sneaking a small kiss. Laura hums, her eyes closed and a smile playing at her lips.

"You know, I think I can make do here."


	3. Thanks for Asking

A bit of dialogue between our favourite president and commander during early season one.

* * *

 **Thanks for Asking**

"Madame President," says the commander, just as she's getting ready to leave his quarters after their meeting. Truth be told, she still suppresses a slight jolt whenever she's addressed as "Madame President." Even if it's been about a month now, this is all still very new.

"Yes, Commander?"

"I hope you don't mind me prying, but you haven't hung any pictures or names on The Memorial Wall; I wanted to be sure you knew it existed?"

The president finds her lips quirking up in a smile. So, the stiff "Old Man" does have a heart of flesh after all.

"Yes, I am aware of this wall. However, all of my close friends and family died some time before the attacks, Commander; there is no one left for me to look for. But I do thank you for your concern." She gives him a genuine smile this time, and nods. "Thank you."

As she leaves, the click of her heels leaving a resounding echo in her wake, the commander can't help but wonder about the "simple" schoolteacher masquerading as their president. She may not be quite as simple as he thought.

That doesn't make a schoolteacher fit to be president, of course. And it certainly doesn't mean he's starting to like her.

Certainly not.


	4. Different

I'm rewriting what will turn out to be a particularly long work, and there were a few fics in the sequel that I really loved but unfortunately don't have a place in the newer edition of the story. So i'm putting them here.

This one's set a couple days after everyone is rescued from New Caprica.

* * *

 **Different**

"You seem different."

That was the wrong thing to say.

She doesn't give much away, but her slight flinch, the flick of her gaze, tells him all he needs to know.

"That can't be too surprising."

She's not cold with these words, but she doesn't sound entirely pleased, either.

"I'm sorry," Bill says, sitting down in the chair across from her desk. "I only meant that it seems like there's something bothering you."

Laura tosses up a kind, patient smile.

"There is."

She doesn't elaborate further. He doesn't push her.

"Was there something you needed, Admiral?"

He'd never admit it, but her lack of friendliness hurts more than a little.

"Admiral?"

"Sorry, Madame President."

Bill shakes his head, allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

"I just wanted to see how you were settling back in."

"Oh, well," Laura's arm makes a sweeping gesture. "This place is filled with Gaius Baltar's junk. There's a lot of work to be done, but I'm just glad to be back."

Funny, Bill thinks, how it sounded like she almost said "home" but didn't.

"Well," he says, standing, "I'll be here if you need me."

His words stand for more than just his interior decorating services. She seems to understand. She sighs.

"Thank you, Bill."

She's using his first name again. That's a start.

Bill nods, and goes to leave.

"And Bill?"

He turns and stops at the doorway.

"It's good to see you."

He smiles.

"It's good to see you too, Laura."


	5. Opposing Sides

Set a couple weeks after the Roslin/Adama post-Occupation reunion, somewhere during the time when Starbuck, Colonel Tigh and the other New Caprica survivors started wreaking havoc within the fleet.

* * *

 **Opposing Sides**

"You're being a bit too harsh on them, Bill." Roslin sits at her desk, twirling a pen around her fingers as she stares at the Admiral over the rim of her glasses. She doesn't seem angry, merely concerned; but it won't take much to push her over that line.

"The fleet has been reunited. The line separating the New Capricans from the rest of the fleet needs to be smoothed over now, before this gets out of hand."

"I agree completely. But I think you're underestimating the trials that the people faced on New Caprica."

"Hardship is no excuse for the behavior exhibited in the mess hall last night."

"No, it's not, but Bill," Roslin sighs and sets down the pen, taking off her glasses and folding them neatly in front of her. She laces her fingers together and places her hands on the desk. "They've been through so much. Please, cut them some slack. Can you really blame them for reacting this way? After all they've been put through, they can't be expected to right away assimilate back into the fleet with everyone else, like nothing happened. You're right when you say that the line between us needs to be smoothed over, but don't forget that there is a line. Hardship changes people; you know that. This is going to take some time."

"I know. And I understand that those were hard times on New Caprica, but you make it sound like the New Capricans deserve special treatment. You weren't the only ones who suffered during the last year. Need I remind you that those who remained with the fleet risked, and some sacrificed their lives to save you all."

"I know that. Of course I know that. And we're all grateful beyond expression. But gods, Bill, please tell me you don't think that what the fleet experienced can in any way be compared to the experiences of those on New Caprica? You had three meals a day, hot showers, warm beds, no fear of missing curfew or being taken to the detention centers. We were being tortured, you do see that?"

Admiral Adama sighs and rubs his forehead. This was not how he wanted nor expected this conversation to go. She's usually on his side on matters like these.

"The fleet is reunited. We need to keep it from dividing again."

Roslin scoffs. "Do you think this is just going to go away? Just because you want everything back the way it was? Believe me, Admiral," she 's addressing him by his rank, now. She's pissed. "We all wish we could turn back time. But we can't, and what happened to us is going to live in our memories for as long as we live. We can't be free of the Occupation. It haunts us day and night, even while we sleep." Roslin's tone is getting more forceful, more influenced by anger and, Bill starts to wonder, maybe by something more personal. "And just by being here, watching other members of the fleet carry on with their lives, we're reminded that we can't carry on. It's not that simple. Don't you see that? I know this has been hard for you but please, stop being so selfish and-"

"Selfish?" Bill won't let an unwarranted personal attack go unchallenged.

"Yes, selfish. You're motivated by your own guilt. You blame yourself for what happened on New Caprica and you think that if everything goes back to the way it was people will forget about it. That your guilt will go away."

Bill abruptly stands and walks over to Laura, leaning over her desk and glaring down at her with fury in his eyes.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?"

Bill turns sharply on his heel and walks away without another word.

"We never blamed you, Bill," Laura says softly, before he leaves the room. "I never blamed you. Not for a second. We always knew you'd come back."

The Admiral pauses at the doorway for only a moment before he walks away, without looking back.


	6. Trouble Sleeping?

Set some time after the New Capricans start settling down and the fleet starts to get back to normal.

* * *

 **Trouble Sleeping?**

"You feelin' okay?" Adama asks as he and Roslin wrap up their meeting. She's sitting next to him on his couch, facing him, resting her elbow on the couch so she can prop up her head with her hand. As is her custom, her shoes are on the floor while her feet are tucked up under her. She shrugs.

"I'll be fine. I just haven't been sleeping well."

Adama doesn't look convinced. She rolls her eyes.

"Don't look so concerned; I'm fine, really. It's just. . ." Roslin sighs. "Never mind. Anyways it's getting late; unless there's anything else you'd like to discuss I think I'm going to go try to get some sleep." She unfolds her legs and leans over the table to gather her papers.

"Something's bothering you," Adama presses. Roslin doesn't look up from the papers.

"I told you, it's just a bit of insomnia. Stop worrying."

"Laura."

Roslin sighs and straightens, turning to face him.

"I'm having nightmares. About New Caprica."

Adama tenses slightly. She hasn't spoken a word about her personal experiences during the Occupation. If he is being truthful, not knowing is eating away at him.

"I'm back in the detention center, in that cold, grey cell. Isolated. Alone. Until Leoben comes in to "chat" with me." Roslin shudders and stands, gathering up her documents and heading for the door. Her tone falters and becomes softer, more vulnerable, when she says, "There's really nothing you can do."

Adama stands and follows her. They face each other when they reach the door. She's obviously exhausted and, given the rather grim turn their conversation had taken, he shouldn't be smiling. But he is, even if it's a small one. Slowly, as if against her will, Roslin returns it.

"What?" she asks. She holds her files against her chest, her head cocked to the side and her tired eyes droopy in the most adorable way. Adama's smile becomes more pronounced. Instead of using his words, his eyes dart from Roslin's eyes to her lips, and suddenly his arm has snaked around her waist and pulled her towards him. She giggles before his lips press lightly against hers, his hand coming up to cup her face and his fingers getting lost in her hair. She smiles as he breaks the kiss, smiling back at her.

"You're not alone anymore, remember? You don't have to be afraid. If anyone so much as places a finger where you don't want them to, I'm gonna kick their ass. That nightmare is out of date."

Roslin chuckles and shakes her head, giggles erupting from her like a spastic volcano. She sobers up after a few moments, though, and says,

"Thank you, Bill."

He simply smiles and asks,

"See you tomorrow?"

She smiles back as he opens the door.

"You bet."


	7. They Tried to Live With Us

Set during the episode 'A Measure of Salvation.'

* * *

 **They Tried to Live With Us**

 _"They tried to live with us on New Caprica."_

 _". . . What did you say?"_

 _"They tried to live with us on New Caprica."_

 _"You weren't on New Caprica. To my recollection, you didn't set foot there. So out of respect for the hundreds of men and women on your crew who suffered through that snake pit, I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. You would serve your Fleet well if you'd remember occasionally that the Cylons are a mortal threat to the survival of the human race."_

He's never seen her this enraged.

The President of the Colonies paces back and forth, taking her glasses off and on, off and on. She's obviously trying very hard not to explode. He hasn't moved since he dismissed Helo and Apollo. Maybe he should leave – give her some space. But then again. . . maybe not.

"Laura."

She doesn't seem to have heard him.

"Laura."

He walks to her and grabs her arms, stopping her. She's biting her lip, and her eyes are watery. She's very, very pissed.

"'They tried to live with us on New Caprica.'" She quotes Helo, shaking her head. She looks disgusted. "Is that what they think? Is that what you think?" A tear slides off her eyelashes. She angrily wipes it away.

"No."

He takes her glasses off, which are becoming smudged with tears and mascara, and cleans them. He knows that something happened to her on New Caprica – something even more personal than losing friends, or watching her people suffer. Something that transcends even that.

"He's just trying to rationalize what happened - because of his wife. I'm sure he didn't mean it. He's a good kid."

"Good kid or not he needs to pick a frakking side already. Even his Cylon wife is capable of that much."

He's never seen her so bitter. She looks like she wants to scream; if he didn't know her better he'd say that she might. He knows he shouldn't push her, he shouldn't probe too deep, but there comes a point when bottling up your feelings does more harm than good.

"What happened, Laura?"

She stops and looks up at him, her unnervingly focused green eyes no longer hiding behind glasses.

"What?"

"On New Caprica. What did they do to you to make you so bitter?"

She straightens. Smoothes her clothes. Wipes her eyes. She gives him that fake smile, the one reserved for frustrating Quorum members and Gaius Baltar, and she takes her glasses from him.

"Thank you, Admiral. That will be all."

She slides her glasses back on and sits behind her desk. The Admiral sighs.

"You have to talk to someone about it eventually, Laura," he says quietly, as if he were talking to a startled deer. He continues after a short pause, "It doesn't have to be me."

He wishes those last words didn't stab his heart so much as he spoke them. The idea that there might be someone she feels more comfortable with, someone else she places more trust in than him - it hurts.

When she doesn't say anything else, he leaves.


End file.
